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USE OF THE OLIGOCHAETE, LUMBRICULUS VARIEGATUS, AS A PREY ORGANISM FOR THE TOXICANT EXPOSURE OF FISH THROUGH THE DIET
Citation:
MOUNT, D. R., T. L. HIGHLAND, V. R. MATTSON, T. D. DAWSON, K. LOTT, AND C. G. INGERSOLL. USE OF THE OLIGOCHAETE, LUMBRICULUS VARIEGATUS, AS A PREY ORGANISM FOR THE TOXICANT EXPOSURE OF FISH THROUGH THE DIET. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, 25(10):2760-2767, (2006).
Impact/Purpose:
To describe the use of an aquatic worm as a prey organism for use in dietary exposure studies with fish.
Description:
The oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus, has several characteristics that make it desirable as a prey organism for conducting dietary exposure studies with fish, but its sufficiency as a stand alone diet has not been evaluated. We conducted 21-d and 30-d experiments with young fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), respectively, to determine whether a diet consisting solely of L. variegatus would support normal growth, and to compare performance with standard diets (Artemia nauplii, frozen brine shrimp, or trout chow). All diets were readily accepted, and fish survived and grew well. Gross feed conversion in both fathead minnows and rainbow trout was as high or higher for the oligochaete diet compared with others, though this may be due in part to differences in amount of food offered that was actually ingested, which was very high for the oligochaete diet. The oligochaete diet had gross nutritional analysis similar to the other diets, and meets fish nutrition guidelines for protein and essential amino acids. Methodologies and practical considerations for successfully using oligochaetes as an experimental diet are discussed. Considering their ready acceptance by fish, their apparent nutritional sufficiency, the ease of culturing large numbers, and the ease with which they can be loaded with exogenous chemicals, we believe that L. variegatus represents an excellent choice of exposure vector for dietary exposure of young fish to toxicants.